Higher performance, lower cost, increased miniaturization of integrated circuit components, and greater packaging density of integrated circuits are ongoing goals of the microelectronic industry for the fabrication of microelectronic devices. As these goals are achieved, the microelectronic devices scale down, i.e. become smaller, which increases the need for optimal performance from each integrated circuit component.
Maintaining mobility improvement and short channel control as microelectronic device dimensions scale down past the 15 nanometer (nm) node provides a challenge in microelectronic device fabrication. Nanowires may be used to fabricate microelectronic devices which provide improved short channel control. For example, silicon germanium (SixGe1-x) nanowire channel structures (where x<0.5) provide mobility enhancement at respectable Eg, which is suitable for use in many conventional products which utilize higher voltage operation. Furthermore, silicon germanium (SixGe1-x) nanowire channels (where x>0.5) provide mobility enhanced at lower Egs (suitable for low voltage products in the mobile/handheld domain, for example).
Many different techniques have been attempted to fabricate and size nanowire-based device. However, improvements may still be need in the area of transistor leakage and gate capacitance.